BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 5

To Sin or Not to Sin that is the Question.

1 John 3:1-10

Recently during one of the lesson on 1 John a young lady stopped me midstream of a thought be presented. What she said reinforced a truth that I sometimes forget. Having read the Bible as much as I have there is a tendency to take some words for granted. Her point was that we should all stop and approach each thought seriously and not gloss over them just because they have become so familiar. Every word, phrase and even punctuation marks have made their way into the Bible I read for a reason. Each of them are important and loaded with meaning. To take them lightly could possibly indicate that they have longer have an impact on my life. I am thankful that she brought that fact to my attention. For a while I will be conscious of what I am studying and reading, but will need a reminder ever so often that I am falling back into the same trap.

Their are a couple of approaches that I have used that have been helpful to insure that all of Scripture continues to bring God’s light into my life. One way is to view the book or text as if it is the first time I have seen it. Over the years I have found to write notes on a particular passage has forced me to see what God is trying to say to me. These note taking sessions have often expanded into a major study of a theme that in evident from Genesis to Revelation. Whatever technique one uses I believe that great effort should be made in our understanding of the Bible. If I don’t understand the instruction manual how can I live by what it says.

This is especially important some of the primary teachings of God’s Word. God, Jesus, love eternal life, compassion, sin, personal sacrifice and forgiveness are just a few that should hold our attention.

As in one’s personal life, if the church does not take seriously the teachings of the Bible and especially those of Jesus and the writer’s of the New Testament it will become weak from the lack of spiritual nourishment. There is an epidemic that is occurring today. It is the illness of biblical illiteracy. Most church leaders and those who study what is taking place in the church believe that we living in the time of which Amos spoke over twenty-seven hundred years ago. In Amos 8:11-12 he wrote of a coming famine in the land of Israel. He told us that it was not to be a natural famine of one of “hearing the words of the Lord.” It will be sad day if the church no longer sees God’s word as the reason we are an unique people in this world, but are no longer able to share the meaning to be found in Scripture.

If we reach that point we will not longer be like the early church who took sin seriously. If we lose the message that through the love of God someone does not have to remain in that condition then we are no longer carrying out the mission of God. John deals with God’s perspective on man’s sin nature in today’s lesson. Jesus said in a number of places, “He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 9:15)

1 John 3:1

After all that John had said about what God had done for the people there was one more important attribute they needed to understand. They needed to come to grip with how much love God had poured out on them. Once again the word used for love is agapao which is the highest form of the word. It is that unconditional love which wants nothing but best for the recipient of it. God had looked on his people and given them His grace which brought them into the relationship of Father and children. John pointed out that in fact the followers of Christ were God’s children.

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Jesus had told the disciples in earlier days because they were different than those who lived according to the world standards, they would find themselves misunderstood and ostracized by those who had rebelled against God. (John 17) Now sixty years later John wanted to help his children see that they would find themselves rejected because of their beliefs. The world will never understand what makes a Christian live as he does because they have no idea who God is.

1. What is the greatest gift God has given man? (His agapao, godly love.)

2. What is the result of that love? (we have become His children.)

3. What does grace mean for us?

4. Why do true followers of Christ not fit into this world? (The world will never understand God because He is opposite of everything they believe.)

5. In what ways do you feel different than the world in which we live?

1 John 3:2

One thing John did not know even though he was sure that all of them were children of God, he did not know what his eternal body and nature would be like. There was no way that he could fully comprehend the total perfection man would experience upon the return of Christ. He had seen the resurrected Christ but was looking forward to being like Him.

1. What was the one thing of which John was sure?

2. Why could John not comprehend what the heavenly body of Jesus would be like upon His return? (He could only remember the physical, though resurrected body of Jesus.)

3. What can we not know? (What our resurrected bodies will be like.)

4. When we discover upon the return of Christ?

5. How can we be sure we will be like Jesus?

1 John 3:3

Every person who had given his life completely to God would have the desire to wants to make himself

pure without evil because He wants to be like the Father.

1. What is the meaning of hope? (See Hebrews 11:1 It is the assurance that what God has promised is true.)

2. What is to be the desire of a true follower of Christ?

3. How do we go about cleansing ourselves? (To live like Christ.)

4. On what basis are we cleaned? (God’s forgiveness and grace.)

1 John 3:4-6

Although it is absolutely true that we have the assurance of salvation because of God’s grace the law is still in effect as man’s standard of living out his faith each and every day. Every man sins, breaks the laws of God. John is not talking about man’s failure because he is human. Jesus dealt with those who lived in sinful life calling them to sin no more. The woman caught in adultery was a prime example. (John 8:11) as well as the man who was paralyzed (Matthew 9:2)

He was writing of the man who consistently and with without regard to God’s law violates it as a practice. It is the man who camps out in the position of rebellion without the thought of repentance. Christ came to take away the penalty of sin for those who have accepted Him as their Savior. He was

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able to accomplish it because He lived a life without sin. John once again pointed out that a true believers do not make it a habit of sinning in the manner of one rebels against the Father. The one who makes it his practice to transgress the law of God knows Him.

1. What does it mean to practice sin? (It is the habitual and deliberate rebellion against God’s word.)

2. What are some to the ways that man practices sin?

3. What does it say about a person who continually practices sin?

4. Why can God not abide in that person?

5. What some examples of people in the New Testament who were called out of a sinful lifestyle and given a new opportunity in life? (See Matthew 9:1-7; John 5:1-14; 8:1-11)

6. What are some of the things you may have to give up to have God’s forgiveness?

1 John 3:7

The churches faced a real challenge to their faith from those who were promoting the false teachings of those leaning toward gnosticism. The fact they denied the deity of Christ opened the door for those professing their belief in Jesus to slip back into the worldly lifestyle that John had just condemned. He wanted to make sure that they stayed on the right path. He called them to practice righteousness as opposed to habitually sinning. Righteousness is the relationship that brings man and God together. Righteousness is to live according to God’s commandments. God in another place said that man is to be holy like He is holy. John called man to walked in perfection, maturity in Christ. To do so leaves no room to practice sin.

1. Why did the members of the churches have to be on guard?

2. What was the deception of those who were in reality antichrists?

3. What does it mean to walk in righteousness?

4. Why does God have a right to demand that we live that kind of lifestyle? (He is holy, pure, perfect and righteous.)

5. Why was John able to say those who walk in righteousness do not practice sin? (There is no time for or room in one’s life for practicing sin.)

1 John 3:8

Once again John was very clear on the condition of the man who continually practiced sin. In his words they belonged to the devil. He controlled and dominated his or her life and there was no room for God. One who is committed to Christ knows the devil is the author of rebellion towards God. From the very beginning the devil has sinned and he wants to enslave every man under his control. John in his gospel gave a clearer picture of the very nature of the devil. (John 8:44) There was only One who could stop the works of the devil. With His death and resurrection Jesus destroyed the control that the devil had over the lives of people.

1. How do we know that a person is controlled by the devil? (He continually practices sin?

2. What is the nature and character of the devil?

3. Why is it impossible to defeat him in our own power? (He is the great deceiver.)

4. How long has the devil been operative?

5. What were some of his first acts? (Genesis 3)

6. Who is the one who has destroyed the works of the devil?

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1 John 3:9

Repetition is the one of the greatest teachers. John felt it necessary to say what he wanted to get across to the people a number of times. His writing is a good example of the importance of everyone who calls themselves Christian to read, study and meditate on God’s word every single day. John ends of this section of the letter by stating one more time that God’s children do not practice sin because His seed Jesus Christ is living in them. No one who is truly born again will practice what is alien to a believer because of that kinship of Father and child.

1. Why is repetition so important in learning?

2. What was the one thing that John wanted imprinted on the hearts of believers?

3. How important is that lesson for us?

4. What are some examples in your life of this kind of learning?

5. Why it so important to spend a great deal of time in God’s word?

6. Who is the one who helps us not to sin?

7. What is the evidence to you and others that you have been born of God?

1 John 3:10

Although in today’s world it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between those who call themselves Christians and those who do not claim to know Christ. John said it should be obvious by the way one lives to tell the difference. The lifestyle should as light compared to darkness. Again he pointed out to live unrighteously indicates that he is not part of God’s family. A righteous man is to love his brother. One who does not does not love the Father.

1. Why is it sometimes hard to tell whether a person is a Christian?

2. In what ways should it be obvious that we belong to Christ?

3. Why does John once again repeat the idea that a man who lives an unrighteous life cannot have a relationship with the Father?

4. Why did John reference that lack of love for one’s brother as a breach in the relationship with God?

5. What have been times when you have been guilty of not loving your brother or sister in your family or in the Church?

• Strive to show the world that you are indeed a child of God.

• Always be prepared to meet Christ upon His return.

• Purify your life by confessing and repenting of any sin in your life.

• Do not habitually live a life of sin. To do so would indicate that you do not belong to Jesus.

• Study and meditate on God’s word so the devil cannot deceive into living a sinful life.

• Know that you are victorious because Christ came to destroy the works of the devil.

The church must take heed to the responsibility it has to win as many as it can before God’s clock ticks its last second. Paul was passionate about winning the lost. (See 1 Corinthians 9:19-23) One of the ways that we can do so is by living righteousness lives before those within the sphere of our influence. If the world sees the church acting the same way it does, except when behind closed doors, it will be difficult if not impossible to bring people to the point of salvation. We must know who we believe then do everything in our power to behave in a righteous way. To be righteous is to have a special relationship with the Father because we carry out His teaching in the world He has given us.

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What does a church look like that takes sin seriously? There can be no compromise with what the Bible calls sin. In any form it is a violation of God’s commands and a rebellion against God Himself. Each person must take responsibility for that rebellion in his own life and to make sure that it does not undermine and destroy the work of the church.

It is one that loves the Word of God and uses every means at its disposal is a body that disciples all the people from the youngest to the oldest that they may grow in the knowledge in order to serve the Father in a godly manner. Let us show the world that we want to be that kind of church which is the light in our community and the sharer of the good news that we have in Jesus Christ.